Use The Power Of Community To Attract New Clients With This 5-Step Strategy
I remember when the idea of a six-figure business seemed intangible, like an unreachable target. Back when I was a freelance content writer, social media marketer and picker-up for clients (meaning that whatever they needed, I figured it out), I was just a team of one.
In those early days, I struggled to find clients. I actively performed outreach, and spent a lot of my time applying for jobs and sending application after application, all but floundering through my outreach process… And you know what all those things have in common? They're sooo time-consuming.
It wasn't until I started working with values-based brands that prioritized relationship-building that I saw how things could be easier. Once I decided to practice what I preached — by showing up consistently online, joining groups of like-minded people and building a network of colleagues who could send me referrals (that could then become repeat clients) — that's when I saw my business skyrocket.
And that’s when it hit me — the power of community. This tool had the ability to help any business grow to six-figures and beyond, if used correctly.
If you’re looking to build a thriving, sustainable, long-term business, you need a consistent and reliable lead source (aka method to bring in new clients). And you need a lot more than what approaching clients one by one can offer. I recommend building an online community of people who are ready and eagerly waiting to buy from you.
Why Your Business Needs An Online Community
As the world increasingly shifts online, so too are communities. A recent study found 76% of internet users participate in an online community. Every month, over 900,000 million users are active in five or more Facebook groups.
The surge of online branded communities is truly unique, because they benefit both the businesses that start them and the individuals who join them. They're packed with valuable resources, and allow people to be around like-minded individuals, which is an intrinsic part of human nature — we inherently want to belong.
People join communities that align with their interests — for reasons of self-improvement and building relationships, to learning or solving a problem (think mental health support, local city guides, or pesky small business problems). The individuals who join these groups have a problem and are looking for a solution — so if your community can provide, they could very likely become your ideal clients.
It’s one thing to have a customer who buys from you once — but it’s another thing entirely to have reliable, repeat customers. And the power of loyal fans who buy from you, again and again, only to refer you even more ideal clients? To quote a popular slogan, it’s priceless.
Because we don’t want people to just buy from you… We want them to buy in.
So say goodbye to sleazy, churn-and-burn lead generation methods, and hello to long-term and consistently irrationally loyal, raving fans.
5 Practical Steps To Build A Thriving Online Community
1. Pick Your Platform
Some brands have communities across multiple platforms, but if you’re trying to grow an audience or you're new to this aspect of business building, I suggest you pick one.
You can start by growing engaged communities on social media pages. To succeed here, you need to show up consistently — you can’t post and ghost. With content marketing and a nurturing strategy in place, this is totally possible. If you're looking to attract new prospects, this is the best method. However, I like to use social media as an attraction tool, bringing people into the business, and then leading them to an email list for a more personal connection.
Here at Content By Kelsey, we love emails, because people on your email list are engaged. You get undivided 1:1 attention in their inbox, which just isn't possible on a social media platform. In fact, studies show that email marketing ROI can be as high as 4,400%. Not to mention there are 4 billion daily email users. So if you're looking to connect deeply with your prospects on a regular basis, this is the best method.
Finally, you can also consider platforms like Circle, Skool, Thinkific, Mighty Networks or a simple Facebook group. These platforms allow members to join, interact with one another, and create a sense of belonging with like-minded people. If you're looking to nurture relationships, facilitate discussions, and create connections amongst others, this is a great method.
Whichever platform you choose to start building connections on, it’s important to remember that the power of the community doesn't lie in the numbers alone, but the loyalty and strength of those numbers. Many of my clients have had successful six-figure launches with seemingly small communities, because they focused on connection first, not conversion.
Because it’s all about relationships. The communities that retain the most people are the ones who speak to their interests, have good conversations and add value.
2. Define Your Purpose
Imagine you invite people over for a dinner party. Generally, there's a reason for the event — maybe you're celebrating, announcing something, or focusing on a theme — and this encourages people to show up. But once the meal is over, people will likely start to leave, unless you give them a reason to stay. You need to design a welcoming environment and appeal to their interests. For some, this might be drinks and music, while for others, it might be conversations around a fire.
So when it comes to your online business community, how are you enticing people to join your group, and then what value are you providing to encourage them to stick around? What is the purpose and strategy behind this community?
3. Attract Ideal Clients
Once you've defined your purpose, attracting like-minded people to it can be simple. If you want the right people to join your new community, and not just anyone, use attraction marketing strategies. Instead of pushing people towards your brand, magnetize them so they can't help but WANT to come and see what all the fuss is about. Make them feel like you're talking directly to them, and before you know it, you'll turn them into irrationally loyal customers.
4. Keep Them Engaged
One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make is starting a community, and then failing to nurture it.
If you have an email list, you need to email them regularly (not just when you have something to sell). If you have a Facebook group, you need to show up regularly, connect with them and share valuable insights. On social media pages, you need a long-term content marketing strategy to foster human connection, and treat your followers like humans.
Because the truth is this — people have shown up and chosen to listen to you, but they can leave at any time. So instead of treating them like a “list” of numbers, see them as an “audience” of friends. When you create something they truly want to be part of, they will actively buy from you. So skip the hard selling, fake scarcity, and sales mumbo-jumbo. Instead, create an environment that your ideal clients desire to spend time in the long-term.
Consistent email and content marketing can be hard to keep up with. If you're lost in the strategy or short on time, don't let these hold you back from starting or growing a community. Get in touch. My team of specialists are ready to dive in.
5. Get Consistent Sales
If done right, online branded communities avoid crickets at check-out, and flopped launches. Because you have an eager audience ready to tell you exactly what their problems are — so you can design solutions around how to fix them.
With a blueprint in your back pocket, nurturing these loyal members can lead to consistent sales year-round. So set up your community, connect with the people, keep adding value, and watch the sales roll in for your next launch or offering.
Start Building My Brand's Online Community
If you’re ready to stop throwing spaghetti at the wall, and wasting more money on old-school marketing tactics like churn and burn strategies, then listen up.
Investing in an online community is powerful, and has been proven time and time again to build brand loyalty, grow brand awareness and increase sales.
If you're ready to level up your marketing with attraction strategies and consistent community nurturing, let's connect. We are here to help you get out of the weeds and start building a community that will serve your brand for years to come, at every step of the way.
Strategizing community-based initiatives, writing copy that connects, and creating irrationally loyal fans is our (long-winded) middle name. Want our help building your community, email list and business marketing strategy? Book a free discovery call with us.
